€x  lltbrtH 

SEYMOUR  DURST 

-t '  ~Fort  ntemu  ^imflercUm,  oj>  Je  Manhatarus 

^^^^^^^^^ 

FORT    NEW   AM?  TERD.^V  ))J&Stw[         ^E1^"  YORK  1  iO^l 

When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
" Ever'thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 

Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 

LETTER 

FROM  THE 

SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY, 

TO  THE 

CHAIRMAN  of  the  COMMITTEE, 

OF 

fttaps  ant)  ffltmus, 

TRANSMITTING  TO  HIM  A  LETTER 
FROM  THE  COMMISSIONERS  OF 
VALUATION  OF  HOUSES  AND 
LANDS  IN  THE 

STATE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


10th  April,  1800. 
Committed  to  the  Committee  of  the  whole  Houfe,  to 
whom  is  committed  the  Bill  to  provide  for  equaliz- 
ing the  valuations  of  unfeated  lands. 


l^U£ied^rder  of  thelfafi  of  Rcfirefenttii^} 


til 
1*0* 


T  DEEM  it  my  duty  to  tranfmit,  for  the  information 
JL  of  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  a  copy  of 
a  letter,  dated  the  1 8th  of  March,  1800,  from  the  Com- 
miffioners  of  valuation  of  houfes  and  lands  in  the  (late 
of  New- York. 

It  is  with  great  concern  that  I  find,  at  this  late  period, 
that  the  valuations  in  certain  diftri&s,  have  been  fo  im- 
perfectly made,  as  to  render  further  legiflative  provi- 
fions  neceiTary. 


TREASURY  DEPARTMENT, 
March  31ft,  1800. 


SIR, 


I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
Very  refpe&fullv, 
Sir, 

Your  mod  obedient  fervant, 

OLIVER  WOLCOTT. 


Hon.  Robert  G.  Harper,  Efq. 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
Ways  and  Means. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


http://archive.org/details/letterfromsecret00unit_7 


[COPY.] 


Albany,  March  18th,  1800. 

SIR, 

IN  purfaance  of  the  inftruclions  received  from  you, 
and  of  the  law  of  Congrefs  pafled  on  the  2d  day  of 
January,  1800,  entitled,  "  An  aft:  fupplementary  to 
w  an  aft;  to  provide  for  the  valuation  of  lands  and  dwell- 
ft  ing  houfes,  and  the  enumeration  of  flaves  within  the 
<c  United  States,"  the  Board  of  Comroiffioners  in  the 
ftate  of  New  York,  have  afTem bled  for  the  purpofe  of 
revifing  the  lifts  rendered  by  the  Alfeffbrs,  and  their 
own  former  proceedings  thereon;  and  with  a  view  of 
complying,  as  far  as  pofTible,  with  the  intention  of  Con- 
grefs, exprefTed  in  the  aft;  aforefaid. 

In  proceeding  with  the  neceffary  examination,  the 
Board  have  become  fully  convinced,  that  no  powers 
veiled  in  them,  by  either  of  the  aft?  abovementioned, 
are  adequate  to  remedy  the  evils  which  moft  demand 
attention,  and  which  have  been  fuggefted  by  obferva- 
tion  and  experience. 

In  the  firft,  fecond,  third,  fourth  and  fifth  divifions, 
no  material  alterations  appear  to  be  expedient  ;  but  in 
the  fixth,  feventh,  eighth  and  ninth  divifions,  great  and 
juft  complaints  have  been  made  by  proprietors  of  large 
tracls  of  vacant  lands,  who  are  generally  non-refidents 
of  the  diftrifts  where  the  lands  lie,  and  therefore  the 
privilege  of  appeal  to  the  principal  Affeffors  was,  in  ef- 
fect, to  them,  nugatory,  as  the  time  allowed  for  ap- 
peal would  not  admit  of  neceflary  information  and  at- 
tendance ;  more  efpecially  as  many  of  thofe  proprie- 
tors have  lands  of  fuch  defeription  in  more  than  one 
diftrift,  and  perhaps  in  all  of  thofe  divifions  referred.to. 
In  each  of  thofe  divifions,  there  are  diftrifts,  or  fub-di- 
vifionsof  diftrifts,  in  which  a  fmall  portion  of  the  lands 
are  fettled  'fay  from  one  fourth  to  one  twentieth);  the 
refidue  vacant  and  unproductive.    In  fome  of  thefe. 


6 


all  the  lands,  vacant  and  improved,  are  valued  at  one 
price,  and  in  others,  a  fmall  variation  only  is  made  ; 
wherefrom  would  enfue  the  confequence  of  reducing 
the  improved  property  below  its  real  value,  fhould  we 
attempt  to  bring  the  vacant  to  its  juft  level. 

The  northern  diftrict  of  the  third  divifion  appears  to 
be  juftly  appraifed,  where  the  vacant  lands  are  at  an 
average  of  jcvtniy-jive  cents  ;  while  a  di  (trier,  of  the 
eighth  divifion,  adjoining  thereto,  (the  lands  in  which 
are  of  the  fame  defcription  in  all  refpecls  with  the  for- 
mer), Hands  charged  at  an  average  of  tivo  hundred  cents 
for  the  vacant  lands.  This  may  ferve  as  an  explana- 
tion of  the  idea  we  mean  to  exprefs  ;  and  as  large 
tracts  of  rough  uninhabited  country  are  thus  afTefled 
en  majfe.  no  actual  infpeftion  of  the  property  can  be 
expected  from  the  AfleiTors,  who  therefore  have  ex- 
ercifed  a  vague  opinion,  not  founded  on  their  own  ob- 
iervation. 

So  extenfive  is  the  difproportion,  and  the  vacant 
lands  fo  much  interfperfed  with  the  improved  in  every 
cliftrict  and  fub-divifion,  that  legiiiative  interference 
alone  can  apply  the  remedy.  In  one  fub-divifion  of 
the  ninth  diftriCr,  feventh  divifion,  1,116,463  acres, 
and  in  other  di drifts  of  this  divifion,  a  quantity  not 
much  lefs.  and  perhaps  more,  are  thus  fituated,  and 
taxes  mu(t  be  paid  thereon;  while  in  the  ninth  divifion 
one  aggregate  tracl  of  three  millions  of  acres,  befides 
many  other  extenfive  parcels  of  land  not  yet  fubjecl  to 
taxation,  will  ultimately  become  fo.  under  the  fame 
circumitances. 

Another  point  equally  worthy  of  confideration  and 
provifion  is.  that  large  tracts  of  unfettled  lands  in  all 
the  northern  and  wcflern  diftricts  of  the  (late,  have  been 
unavoidably  omitted  in  the  valuation;  and  the  AiTef- 
fors,  not  poflcfung  proper  information,  cannot  fupply 
the  defect  in  the  lills.  Time  and  experience  alone  can 
render  it  poiTible.  The  owners  of  unimproved  lands, 
who  have  confcientioufly  returned  their  lifts,  will  there- 
fore pay  the  tax,  while  delinquents  will  avoid  it — Nor 
has  it  been  pcifible  for  all  landholders  to  comply  with 


7 


the  law  in  that  refpect.  From  the  original  diflribution 
of  lands  in  this  {late,  into  patents  (fo  called)  of  unequal 
and  irregular  extent,  and  the  prefent  distribution  of  the 
country  into  towns,  equally  irregular,  more  extenfive, 
and  lefs  defined  in  their  boundaries,  proprietors  of  va- 
cant lands  have  frequently  been  unable  to  defcribe  their 
property,  and  numerous  lifts  have  been  received  by  the 
Alfeflors  wholly  unintelligible  to  them  and  to  the  Com- 
mifiioners,  and  which  the  owners  could  not  explain  in 
due  feafon,  if  at  all.  In  fome  in  (lances  alfo,  improved 
property,  lying  detached  and  among  vacant  lanas,  has 
been  omitted — In  one  dirtrid  of  the  feventh  divifion, 
as  many  as  thirty  farms  are  thus  omitted ;  and  time  and 
enquiry  will  probably  evince  that  many  more  have 
been  fo. 

The  Board,  with  due  deference,  fubmit  an  opinion 
that  the  Surveyors  of  the  proper  diftricls  will  be  com- 
petent to  the  completion  of  the  lilts  of  lands,  in  like 
manner  as  they  are  to  infert  houfes,  built  or  occupied 
fince  lft  October,  1798.  But  they  alfo  fuggeft  an 
idea,  that  more  difcretion  than  would  be  proper  to  com- 
mit to  that  defcription  of  officers,  and  more  investigation 
than  their  local  duties  would  permit  them  to  undertake, 
would  be  effentially  neceffary  in  regard  to  the  contem- 
plated equalization  of  lands. 

All  which  is  refpe&fullv  fubmitted. 

(Signed)     SELAH  STRONG, 

JACOB  RADCLIFFE, 
SAMUEL  HAIGHT, 
PETER  CANTINE,  jun. 
ST.  N.  BAYARD, 
JAMES  GORDON, 
MOSS  KENT, 
CH.  NUKERCK. 

The  Hon.  Oliver  Wolcott, 
Efquire,  &c,  &c, 


